Understanding Jesus in the Gospels

Transcription

1 Understanding Jesus in the Gospels Volume 1 David Moore II truthinseason@gmail.com Copyright 2015 David Moore II 1

2 Table of Contents Forward...3 Introduction...4 Article 1: Only Two Kingdoms That Matter...5 Article 2: The Greatest of All Signs...11 Article 3: The Undeniable Inner Witness...17 Article 4: All Part of God s Plan Conclusion

3 Forward David Moore II, in his new book, gives insightful understanding to the message of Jesus and its application for us today. Being a student of the Scriptures for many years, David applies biblical wisdom to a subject that is often neglected and little understood. Bringing a unity of understanding that unifies the Old Testament with the New, only by faith can one recognize in the lowly figure of Jesus, the manifestation of God s rule and grace. I highly recommend the teaching ministry and gift of David to the Body of Christ. May he give us many years of insightful truths from God s Word. Don W. Krow Director of Discipleship Evangelism International Outreach 3

4 Introduction The Scriptures say to study to show yourself approved, a workman who doesn t need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of truth (2 Tim. 2:15). This has been my endeavor for most of my life. Through this and the teachers God placed in my life, I understood that Jesus was the central figure of the Bible (John 5:39) and the exact representation of God (Heb. 1:3). But as I would discover one truth about Him see good from it then discover a greater truth and see good from that there were certain things He said and did that I found myself de-emphasizing or explaining away, because I didn t understand them. One day, I was challenged by Don Krow, who asked me, What is the Kingdom of God? I was totally caught off guard! What a question! I answered that I thought it to be a set of principles for the way God operates. Honestly, I had never really focused on it, but immediately, I realized that Jesus talked about it constantly. It was always on His lips, and it was something I ought to know more about. So, I started this journey, studying and digging this up in the way that seemed good to me. It has been astounding and, oh, what a joy! I want to share with you what I believe God has shared, and is sharing, with me. My hope is that this will go to people everywhere and help them see Jesus in a way that maybe they haven t and that they might seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us (Acts 17:27). These articles will by no means cover all there is to know about Jesus in the Gospels, but I believe that what I bring forth is truth in season and have therefore treated this with my utmost care in order to be as clear as day. Thank you, Don, for loving me enough to point me to the truth! And thank you to my loving wife, Dwell, for your support, patience, understanding, and insight. 4

5 Article 1: Only Two Kingdoms that Matter To begin, let s examine scriptures in the four Gospel accounts that mention the Kingdom of God the message Jesus preached and its purpose. I ll be using the New King James Version of the Bible unless otherwise noted. Also, you will see my brackets in the scriptures throughout the articles. They are for the purpose of clarification where it is helpful or needed. This is one of the things Jesus said at the beginning of His ministry: Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Matthew 4:17b The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel. Mark 1:15 The word kingdom is used in both statements. In Matthew s account, Jesus called it the kingdom of heaven, and in Mark s account, He called it the kingdom of God ; therefore, they are one and the same thing. The largest and most prominent sermon Jesus gave when He wasn t primarily correcting, rebuking, answering a question, or teaching in parables is what is popularly called the Sermon on the Mount. Notice that the first few words Jesus spoke have to do with the Kingdom: And seeing the multitudes, He [Jesus] went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. [2] Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying: [3] Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:1-3, brackets mine Then He [Jesus] lifted up His eyes toward His disciples, and said: Blessed are you poor, For yours is the kingdom of God. Luke 6:20, brackets mine To conclude His great sermon, Jesus mentioned the Kingdom of Heaven one more time: Not everyone who says to Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Matthew 7:21 If there is a Kingdom, that means there is a King. But who is this King? When Jesus finished His sermon, the reaction of the people is very telling: 5

6 And so it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that the people were astonished at His teaching, [29] for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. Matthew 7:28-29 Jesus talked like He was in authority, and He was. He identified Himself as the King of the Kingdom in His conversation with Pilate only hours before His crucifixion: My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here. [37] Pilate therefore said to Him, Are You a king then? Jesus answered, You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice. John 18:36-37 This was bold of Jesus to confess to Pilate, who was the Roman governor of Judea. Pilate later told Jesus, Do You not know that I have power to crucify You, and power to release You? (John 19:10). For Jesus to say He was a king was considered treason, as the Jews said Whoever makes himself a king speaks against Caesar. John 19:12 Now, after Jesus death and resurrection, He spent forty days speaking to His apostles the things pertaining to the kingdom of God (Acts 1:3). So, get this: Jesus started His ministry talking about the Kingdom of God, ended His earthly life talking about the Kingdom of God, and continued talking about it after He rose from the dead! As I mentioned in my introduction, it was what He constantly talked about! But Jesus did more than just talk about His Kingdom. A kingdom is known by its exploits what it stands for and what it opposes and that s what I want to examine in this article. First, Jesus didn t spend His time setting up an earthly kingdom to overthrow the Romans. He told Pilate that His Kingdom was not of this world. However, He did say to the multitudes that His Kingdom was forcefully advancing (Matt. 11:12, New Living Translation). How? The Bible says He went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil: 6

7 How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. Acts 10:38 John wrote that Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil: For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. 1 John 3:8b What did Jesus do to destroy the works of the devil? The next few passages say that one of the ways He did it was by healing people: And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bent over and could in no way raise herself up. [12] But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him and said to her, Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity. [13] And He laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God [16] So ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound think of it for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath? Luke 13:11-13 and 16 Then one was brought to Him [Jesus] who was demon-possessed, blind and mute; and He healed him, so that the blind and mute man both spoke and saw. [23] And all the multitudes were amazed and said, Could this be the Son of David? [24] Now when the Pharisees heard it they said, This fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons. [25] But Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them: Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand. [26] If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? Matthew 12:22-26, brackets mine Jesus identified Satan as a king as well. Keep reading. He said And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they shall be your judges. [28] But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you. Matthew 12:27-28 And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people. [24] Then His fame went throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all sick 7

8 people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them. Matthew 4:23-24 Why did Jesus spend the little time that He had doing these things? The obvious answer is because that is what mattered! One of the most important things I can tell you, or anyone, is that ultimately, there are only two kingdoms that matter in life. After Jesus revealed that Satan is a king (Matt. 12:26), Luke s account adds that He said He who is not with Me is against Me (Luke 11:23), meaning that everyone, and I would even say everything, falls under the rule of one of two kingdoms: the Kingdom of God or the kingdom of Satan. So, Jesus spent His time preaching and advancing His Kingdom by attacking the other kingdom and its king, Satan. Now, it s clear from the scriptures we ve read that the war between these two kings was beyond the limitations of mortal man. As mere humans, we couldn t hope to compete in this league. Therefore, whoever was the stronger of these two kings would be the ultimate ruler of the Earth! But the two kings are not even close to being equal. One is far greater than the other. From the scriptures we ve read, there can be no doubt that it was Jesus, who showed repeatedly that He is stronger than the devil. He made that clear with this illustration after He healed the man who was demon possessed: When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are in peace. [22] But when a stronger than he comes upon him and overcomes him, he takes from him all his armor in which he trusted, and divides his spoils. Luke 11:21-22 Here are some similar passages, where the devil is referred to as the ruler of this world: Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out. John 12:31 I [Jesus] will not talk with you much more, for the prince (evil genius, ruler) of the world is coming. And he has no claim on Me. [He has nothing in common with Me; there is nothing in Me that belongs to him, and he has no power over Me.] John 14:30, Amplified Bible, brackets mine And when He [the Holy Spirit] has come, He will convict the world [11] of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. John 16:8a and 11, brackets mine 8

9 Jesus said these things after He had already encountered and defeated the devil on numerous occasions. What need was there for a future encounter? The answer is that healing the sick and casting out demons only dealt with symptoms of the devil s real power. His real power was death because of sin. Therefore, the only way Jesus could defeat the devil decisively was for Him to conquer death and pay for man s sins! Read on: Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He [Jesus] Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, [15] and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage [17] Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. Hebrews 2:14-15 and 17, brackets mine And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He [Jesus] has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, [14] having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. [15] Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it. Colossians 2:13-15, brackets mine Jesus utter victory over the devil was through His death, burial, and resurrection. He alone is King of all! He is the King of kings! What does it say about a person who can overcome death in and of their own power? It means they can overcome anything, for what could be greater than defeating death? Nothing! There is no feat anyone can name that would be greater than this. But for whom did Jesus do this? Well, first and foremost, He did it for God. Read what He said: For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him [the Father] who sent Me. John 6:38, brackets mine And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. [4] I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do. John 17:3-4 Second, based on the scriptures we ve read, what Jesus did was for everyone. Look what He said: 9

10 Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many. Matthew 20:28 I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, because for this purpose I have been sent. Luke 4:43 Here is a great example where Jesus healed all who were following Him: And great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them all. Matthew 12:15b Jesus preached to people! He healed people! He conquered death for people! So, what did these things mean to the people of His day? What did He expect them to conclude about Him? These are important questions and will be examined in the next article. 10

11 Article 2: The Greatest of All Signs In the previous article, I explained that it was Jesus displays of power and authority that showed He was the stronger between Him and Satan. Then I ended by sharing that everything Jesus did for God was for people. It will be important, then, in this article to examine what this meant to the people of Jesus day and the way many of them reacted. This will provide further insight into why Jesus did what He did. As I shared in the previous article, Jesus talked like He was in authority, like He could tell people what to do, in other words (Matt. 7:28-29). He didn t pull any punches or act like He didn t have the right to speak into anybody s life. Oftentimes, He didn t even act like He needed to earn people s trust. He was the King. When He spoke, when He preached the Kingdom of God, it was a decree. In the Old Testament, a king s decree was absolute. Even he couldn t change it once it was given: You yourselves write a decree concerning the Jews, as you please, in the king s name, and seal it with the king s signet ring; for whatever is written in the king s name and sealed with the king s signet ring no one can revoke. Esther 8:8 Then these men approached the king, and said to the king, Know, O king, that it is the law of the Medes and Persians that no decree or statute which the king establishes may be changed. Daniel 6:15 These, of course, were earthly kings. They were shadows imperfect representations of the true King. Consider the power of these kings decrees. Now consider the King of kings. Much weightier, much heavier. How unchangeable are the decrees of the Heavenly King? Now, the people understood that if Jesus message was really decrees from God, then He ought to display a miraculous sign to bear witness of, or verify, it. Jesus also understood this, saying If I bear witness of Myself, My witness is not true. John 5:31 However, when Jesus said I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life (John 8:12) and the Pharisees told Him You bear witness of Yourself; Your witness is not true (John 8:13), look at His reply: Even if I bear witness of Myself, My witness is true. 11

12 What!? How could Jesus say that? It seems like a contradiction. But read on, as He explained: 12 John 8:14 For I know where I came from and where I am going; but you do not know where I come from and where I am going. [15] You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one. [16] And yet if I do judge, My judgment is true; for I am not alone, but I am with the Father who sent Me. [17] It is also written in your law that the testimony of two men is true. [18] I am One who bears witness of Myself, and the Father who sent Me bears witness of Me. John 8:14-18 So, Jesus said He could bear witness of Himself because the Father also bore witness of Him. How? Let s go back to John 5 again, where Jesus said There is another who bears witness of Me, and I know that the witness which He witnesses of Me is true. [33] You have sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth. [34] Yet I do not receive testimony from man, but I say these things that you may be saved. [35] He was the burning and shining lamp, and you were willing for a time to rejoice in his light. [36] But I have a greater witness than John s; for the works which the Father has given Me to finish the very works that I do bear witness of Me, that the Father has sent Me. John 5:32-36 The Father bore witness of Jesus through the miraculous works Jesus did. The Pharisees should have realized this. Jesus didn t want people to believe Him if He didn t do His Father s works, as He said If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; [38] but if I do, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know and believe that the Father is in Me, and I in Him. John 10:37-38 Jesus was saying He had displayed enough signs to verify His message. Let s look at an example from early in Jesus ministry. This was right after He had cast a demon out of a person: Then they [the people in the synagogue] were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, What is this? What new doctrine is this? For with authority He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him. Mark 1:27, brackets mine

13 Notice that these people immediately attributed the authority Jesus displayed to His doctrine. This should have been enough for them to conclude where His doctrine came from and who He was. But later, there were still some who asked Him, Who are You? And Jesus said to them [the Jews], Just what I have been saying to you from the beginning (John 8:25, brackets mine). At one point, after He rebuked a storm and raging sea, even His disciples weren t sure who He was, saying Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him? Matthew 8:27 Unbelievable. One time, Jesus fed 5,000 people, not including women and children, with five loaves of bread and two fish. How s that for a sign! Then those men, when they had seen the sign that Jesus did, said, This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world [15] Therefore when Jesus perceived that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king, He departed again to the mountain by Himself alone. (John 6:14-15). These same people found Him the next day and said, Rabbi, when did You come here? (John 6:25). But Jesus knew what they were really seeking. He replied, Most assuredly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled (John 6:26). I get a funny picture of these sincere people with fish stuck in their teeth and their hands on their bellies. Look what Jesus went on to say and what happened next: Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him. [28] Then they said to Him, What shall we do, that we may work the works of God? [29] Jesus answered and said to them, This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent. John 6:27-29 But that wasn t what they wanted to hear, so they asked What sign will You perform then, that we may see it and believe You? What work will You do? John 6:30 Come on! Did these people really need another sign in order to believe Him? And if He didn t show them one, would they really dismiss Him as just a philosopher or teacher, no better than anyone else who had good ideas? These people should have known better. What happened to their faith from the day before? A sign like the one they saw 13

14 should have satisfied more than just their stomachs. But when Jesus told them He came from Heaven, they said, Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How is it then that He says, I have come down from heaven? (John 6:42). They were probably still spewing bread chunks when they said this, not realizing they had eaten the very proof they were looking for. You see, when Jesus worked miracles, whether it was multiplying food or demonstrating authority over sickness and demons, that put His message in a whole other category. It was a sign that meant there are absolutes, that there is such a thing as truth. It meant that He, in fact, is the messenger of that truth the Christ sent from God! That is exactly what Jesus expected people to conclude. But He found that instead of believing in Him, they asked for more. They didn t realize that they were acting just like the devil when he said, If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread (Matt. 4:3). The devil is called the tempter in this verse and Jesus didn t give in to him, so when people acted like this, He didn t give in to them either. He wasn t pleased: Then the Pharisees came out and began to dispute with Him, seeking from Him a sign from heaven, testing Him. [12a] He sighed deeply in His spirit, and said, Why does this generation seek a sign? Mark 8:11-12a Sometime before this, in Luke 11:16, the scribes and Pharisees tested Jesus by asking for a sign. Matthew s account of this says that He answered by first telling them, An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah (Matt. 12:39). He wouldn t jump through their hoops, but He did have a sign He would show them. Read His explanation: For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. Matthew 12:40 To be in the heart of the Earth meant to be dead and buried. But since Jesus said He would only be there three days and three nights, that meant He didn t stay dead and buried. Therefore, Jesus said that the sign He would show them would be His victory over death! Jesus made it even clearer one time when He made a whip of cords and went through the temple driving out those who had made God s house a house of merchandise. The Jews asked Him for a sign to verify it: Jesus answered and said to them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. [20] Then the Jews said, It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days? [21] But He was speaking of the temple of His body. John 2:

15 When Jesus talked about being lifted up, He was talking about being lifted up on the cross His death. He was saying that when they killed Him, then they would know that He was the Christ. Read here: Then Jesus said to them [the Jews], When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He [the Christ]. John 8:28a, brackets mine Jesus said He would draw all people to Himself if He was lifted up: And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself. [33] This He said, signifying by what death He would die. John 12:32-33 But the people were confused by this, answering We have heard from the law that the Christ remains forever; and how can You say, The Son of Man must be lifted up? John 12:34 Good question. How could Jesus draw people to Himself if He were dead? Obviously, He couldn t. He could only draw people to Himself if He died and then conquered death! That s what He was saying! But they didn t realize that. So, defeating death was not only Jesus utter victory over the devil, like I covered in the previous article, but it was also the greatest of all signs to verify Him! This next passage reveals just how important the resurrection of Jesus is: Now if Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? [13] But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. [14] And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty. [15] Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up if in fact the dead do not rise. [16] For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. [17] And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! [18] Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. [19] If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable. [20] But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 1 Corinthians 15:12-20 The resurrection of Jesus means everything for faith in Him! If He hadn t risen from the dead, His decrees would not be absolute. Indeed, they wouldn t be decrees at all! 15

16 Now, having established all this, why did Jesus stop wanting people to even know of His miraculous signs? Here are a few examples: Then He touched their eyes, saying, According to your faith let it be to you. [30] And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them, saying, See that no one knows it. Matthew 9:29-30 Then He took the child by the hand, and said to her, Talitha, cumi, which is translated, Little girl, I say to you, arise. [42] Immediately the girl arose and walked, for she was twelve years of age. And they were overcome with great amazement. [43a] But He commanded them strictly that no one should know it. Mark 5:41-43a Then He put His hands on his eyes again and made him look up. And he was restored and saw everyone clearly. [26] Then He sent him away to his house, saying, Neither go into the town, nor tell anyone in the town. Mark 8:25-26 Why would Jesus say these things? Even after He rose from the dead, He pretty much only appeared to people who already believed in Him: And that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, [5] and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. [6] After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. [7] After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. [8] Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time. 1 Corinthians 15:4-8 Jesus didn t appear to anyone outside of this. Why didn t He appear to any unbelievers? It seems unthinkable. Wasn t this the sign He said He would show them to prove He was the Christ? How would they know otherwise? I will examine this in the next article. 16

17 Article 3: The Undeniable Inner Witness Before we move on to what will be examined in this article, let s briefly recap what was covered in the previous one. I shared that Jesus proved He was the Christ by the miraculous signs He displayed. He even said that if He didn t do the works of His Father, then people shouldn t believe Him (John 10:37-38). He knew that people believed because of the signs. So, why did He stop wanting people to know about them? For example, read the following passages: And behold, a leper came and worshiped Him, saying, Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean. [3] Then Jesus put out His hand and touched him, saying, I am willing; be cleansed. Immediately his leprosy was cleansed. [4a] And Jesus said to him, See that you tell no one. Matthew 8:2-4a And when He had come into the house, the blind men came to Him. And Jesus said to them, Do you believe that I am able to do this? They said to Him, Yes, Lord. [29] Then He touched their eyes, saying, According to your faith let it be to you. [30] And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them, saying, See that no one knows it. Matthew 9:28-30 The next passage reveals that Jesus didn t even want people to know He was the Christ! When the sun was setting, all those who had any that were sick with various diseases brought them to Him; and He laid His hands on every one of them and healed them. [41] And demons also came out of many, crying out and saying, You are the Christ, the Son of God! And He, rebuking them, did not allow them to speak, for they knew that He was the Christ. Luke 4:40-41 Say what? You might ask, Why would Jesus tell demons to be quiet about the truth? But it wasn t just the demons. He also told His disciples the same thing: Then he commanded the disciples that they should tell no one that he was the Christ. Matthew 16:20, Lexham English Bible Now, I should mention that Jesus had to hide Himself at times and take precautionary steps to ensure His safety and the fulfillment of His ministry. Let s look at some reasons: 1) People would mob Him. 17

18 Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, I am willing; be cleansed. [42] As soon as He had spoken, immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed. [43] And He strictly warned him and sent him away at once, [44] and said to him, See that you say nothing to anyone; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing those things which Moses commanded, as a testimony to them. [45] However, he went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the matter, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter the city, but was outside in deserted places; and they came to Him from every direction. Mark 1:41-45 But Jesus withdrew with His disciples to the sea. And a great multitude from Galilee followed Him, and from Judea [8] and Jerusalem and Idumea and beyond the Jordan; and those from Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, when they heard how many things He was doing, came to Him. [9] So He told His disciples that a small boat should be kept ready for Him because of the multitude, lest they should crush Him. [10] For He healed many, so that as many as had afflictions pressed about Him to touch Him. Mark 3:7-10 2) They tried to force Him to be king. Therefore when Jesus perceived that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king, He departed again to the mountain by Himself alone. John 6:15 3) They tried to kill Him before His time. This first passage is from early in Jesus ministry: So all those in the synagogue, when they heard these things [Jesus sayings], were filled with wrath, [29] and rose up and thrust Him out of the city; and they led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, that they might throw Him down over the cliff. [30] Then passing through the midst of them, He went His way. Luke 4:28-30, brackets mine Even some of His relatives wanted Him to get in the open so He would be killed: After these things Jesus walked in Galilee; for He did not want to walk in Judea, because the Jews sought to kill Him. [2] Now the Jews Feast of Tabernacles was at hand. [3] His brothers therefore said to Him, Depart from here and go into Judea, that Your disciples also may see the works that You are doing. [4] For no one does anything in secret while he himself seeks to be known openly. If You do these things, show Yourself to the world. [5] For even His brothers did not believe in Him. [6] Then Jesus said to them, My time has not yet come, but your time is always ready. John 7:1-6 18

19 The final scripture for this third reason is similar to the one we read in Luke: Then they took up stones to throw at Him; but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by. John 8:59 These three reasons show why Jesus was covert but not why He stopped wanting people to know of His miraculous works or that He was the Christ! So, what was His reason? The next passage directly explains it, saying He would operate like this until a certain time: Great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them all. [16] Yet He warned them not to make Him known, [17] that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: [18] Behold! My Servant whom I have chosen, My Beloved in whom My soul is well pleased! I will put My Spirit upon Him, And He will declare justice to the Gentiles. [19] He will not quarrel nor cry out, Nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets. [20] A bruised reed He will not break, And smoking flax He will not quench, Till He sends forth justice to victory; [21] And in His name Gentiles will trust. Matthew 12:15b-21 Jesus knew that His miraculous works would be clear signs that He was the Christ (John 5:36), as I shared in the previous article. But this is not what He preferred. He preferred that people believe in Him because of His words. This is the major reason He was so secretive about His identity and showing people signs! His words revealed that He was the Christ! Then the Jews surrounded Him and said to Him, How long do You keep us in doubt? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly. [25a] Jesus answered them, I told you, and you do not believe. John 10:24-25a When did Jesus tell them He was the Christ? There are no instances before this where He told them plainly. But He had told them in a way that was sufficient through His teaching! The Scripture says And when He had come to His own country, He taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished and said, Where did this Man get this wisdom and these mighty works? Matthew 13:54 I touched on this in the first article when I referenced Matthew 7:28-29, but after hearing Jesus teach, they should have concluded that He was the Christ. Some eventually caught on, but many didn t. Maybe the ones who didn t wanted Jesus to 19

20 respond the way John the Baptist had, who said plainly, I am not the Christ (John 1:20). One of the only people Jesus told plainly He was the Christ was a Samaritan woman: The woman said to Him, I know that Messiah is coming (who is called Christ). When He comes, He will tell us all things. [26] Jesus said to her, I who speak to you am He. John 4:25-26 Notice, she didn t even ask if He was the Christ; He just told her! The only other time Jesus said plainly that He was the Christ was after He was arrested and the high priest, Caiaphas, told Him, I put You under oath by the living God: Tell us if You are the Christ, the Son of God! (Matt. 26:63). Jesus answered him, It is as you said (Matt. 26:64). Now, Jesus was disappointed when people only believed when they saw signs. When He said Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will by no means believe (John 4:48), that wasn t a compliment! He expected His words to be enough. After Jesus rose from the dead, He appeared to some of His disciples who had gathered. One of His disciples, Thomas, wasn t there at the time. When the other disciples told him they had seen the Lord, he said he wouldn t believe unless he saw Him for himself. Let s pick up the story, on the day Jesus appeared to the disciples again: And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace to you! [27] Then He said to Thomas, Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing. [28] And Thomas answered and said to Him, My Lord and my God! [29] Jesus said to him, Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed. John 20:26-29 Interesting. Thomas believed when he saw the Lord, just like he said he would. But that wasn t what Jesus expected or preferred, least of all from one of His apostles! So, get this: Jesus expected Thomas to believe just because the other disciples had told him He was risen! 20

21 Jesus wanted the miraculous signs to only bear witness to what He had said. That s why, after Jesus had told the Jews He was the Christ and yet they didn t believe, He said, The works that I do in My Father s name, they bear witness of Me (John 10:25). He didn t say the signs told them He was the Christ; He said He told them. Now, you might think that people would believe if they saw someone risen from the dead. But it s not always so. Look what Jesus told the Pharisees that confirms this: Then he [the rich man] said, I beg you therefore, father [Abraham], that you would send him to my father s house, [28] for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment. [29] Abraham said to him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. [30] And he said, No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent. [31] But he said to him, If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead. Luke 16:27-31, brackets mine Moses and the prophets refers to the Scriptures Moses and the prophets wrote; that is, the Word of God. The Greek word for hear in verses 29 and 31 was used in Matthew 11:15, when Jesus said, He who has ears to hear, let him hear! He was talking to people who had physical ears and could hear Him. Otherwise, they wouldn t even have heard Him say that. This same Greek word was translated understandeth in 1 Corinthians 14:2 (King James Version). So, what Moses was talking about is a spiritual understanding, or perception. He was saying that the rich man s brothers needed to perceive the Word in order to believe they shouldn t need a sign! So, the question is, what s so special about Jesus words that they were enough for people to believe? The answer: Jesus words carried the conviction of the Holy Spirit! They weren t like any other person s. Jesus said The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. John 6:63 When the chief priests and Pharisees sent officers to arrest Jesus and they didn t, the chief priests and Pharisees were upset. Look at the officers explanation, in reference to Him: No man ever spoke like this Man! John 7:46 These officers were convicted in their hearts when they heard Jesus speak. That s why the Pharisees asked them, Are you also deceived? (John 7:47). But it was clear to the officers that Jesus was speaking the truth and they should not arrest Him. 21

22 Jesus wanted people to perceive Him through His words: Then one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, perceiving that He [Jesus] had answered them [the Sadducees] well, asked Him, Which is the first commandment of all? [29] Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is: Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one. [30] And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. This is the first commandment. [31] And the second, like it, is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these. [32] So the scribe said to Him, Well said, Teacher. You have spoken the truth, for there is one God, and there is no other but He. [33] And to love Him with all the heart, with all the understanding, with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love one s neighbor as oneself, is more than all the whole burnt offerings and sacrifices. [34] Now when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, He said to him, You are not far from the kingdom of God. But after that no one dared question Him. Mark 12:28-34, brackets mine The Greek word for perceiving in verse 28 is most commonly used for spiritual understanding in the New Testament. It s an understanding that comes from God. So, this man knew that Jesus was telling the truth, and acknowledged it, yet he wasn t far from the Kingdom. Why didn t he dare to ask how he could get in? John the Baptist said God sent him to preach a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins (Mark 1:4), but when people wondered if he was the Christ, he said I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. Luke 3:16 When John met Jesus, who came to him to be baptized, something remarkable happened: Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. [14] And John tried to prevent Him, saying, I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me? Matthew 3:13-14 Why would John say this? The Scripture says that all the people were baptized (Luke 3:21) by him, so why did he try to make an exception with Jesus? It s because when John met Jesus, he perceived that He was the Christ! The next day, John said God told him that he would see a sign that revealed the Christ: 22

23 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! [30] This is He of whom I said, After me comes a Man who is preferred before me, for He was before me. [31] I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit. [34] And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God. John 1:29-34 But John knew that Jesus was the Christ before he saw this sign, and before Jesus said or did anything! It was clear to him before any of that! God went beyond what John expected! Glory to God! When John did see the sign of the Holy Spirit descending upon Jesus, it only verified what he already perceived! Now let s look at the reaction of those who would become Jesus disciples when they first met Him: And looking at Jesus as He walked, he [John the Baptist] said, Behold the Lamb of God! [37] The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. John 1:36-37, brackets mine Notice that these two followed Him when they heard He was the Christ. A few verses later, it says One of the two who heard John speak, and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter s brother. [41] He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, We have found the Messiah (which is translated, the Christ) [43] The following day Jesus wanted to go to Galilee, and He found Philip and said to him, Follow Me. [44] Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. [45] Philip found Nathanael and said to him, We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. John 1:40-41 and Why was Philip so quick to draw such a strong conclusion about Jesus? He hadn t seen a sign. He didn t even act like he needed one. Let s keep reading: And Nathanael said to him, Can anything good come out of Nazareth? Philip said to him, Come and see. [47] Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, and said of him, Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit! [48] Nathanael said to Him, How do You know me? Jesus answered and said to him, Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you. [49] Nathanael answered and said to Him, Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel! John 1:

24 First, look at all the different titles to describe Jesus: Lamb of God (John 1:36); Messiah, Christ (John 1:41); and Son of God, King of Israel (John 1:49). All of these titles, though they may have different connotations, are synonymous and can be used interchangeably. Now, in the passage of Scripture we just read, Nathanael didn t come seeking a sign; he was seeking the Christ. And when He came to Jesus, then he received a sign. And it wasn t necessarily an unexplainable sign, as Jesus pointed out Because I said to you, I saw you under the fig tree, do you believe? You will see greater things than these. John 1:50 Jesus told him he would see greater things, or you could say greater signs, but it was after he believed. Notice that Nathanael, just like Philip, sounded like he knew that Jesus was the Christ. Just a little while later, that s exactly what many people of the city of Samaria said after they heard Him: Now we believe, not because of what you said, for we ourselves have heard Him and we know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world. John 4:42 How awesome! Now let s look at the response Jesus got from Peter when He asked His disciples who He was: Simon Peter answered and said, You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. [17] Jesus answered and said to him, Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. Matthew 16:16-17 Jesus didn t attribute what Peter knew to a miraculous sign. It was the Father who revealed to Peter, in his heart, that this Man was the Christ. It wasn t unfair of Jesus to expect others to have this same revelation. His words, some of which He repeated, and all the signs He performed were more than enough for anyone to believe! Otherwise, He wouldn t have been disappointed when He told people they would by no means believe (John 4:48) if they didn t see signs. Let s look at one final example, from after Jesus rose from the dead: 24

25 So it was, while they [two disciples] conversed and reasoned, that Jesus Himself drew near and went with them. [16] But their eyes were restrained, so that they did not know Him. [17] And He said to them, What kind of conversation is this that you have with one another as you walk and are sad? [18] Then the one whose name was Cleopas answered and said to Him, Are You the only stranger in Jerusalem, and have You not known the things which happened there in these days? [19] And He said to them, What things? So they said to Him, The things concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a Prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, [20] and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered Him to be condemned to death, and crucified Him. [21] But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, today is the third day since these things happened. [22] Yes, and certain women of our company, who arrived at the tomb early, astonished us. [23] When they did not find His body, they came saying that they had also seen a vision of angels who said He was alive. [24] And certain of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but Him they did not see. [25] Then He said to them, O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! [26] Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory? [27] And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself. Luke 24:15-27, brackets mine Shortly after this, Jesus miraculously vanished from their sight. Look at what they said to each other after this: Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us? Luke 24:32 When these disciples had been talking to Jesus, there was a burning conviction in their hearts that He had indeed risen from the dead, even though, as far as they knew, they hadn t seen Him! Their physical proof was talking to them the whole time, but the only proof they thought they had, the only proof they needed, was in their hearts. So, there s a surer way to know who Jesus is than even seeing the signs He did! To the person who says I wasn t there when Jesus supposedly did all these things. There s no way I can ever know He was the Christ, I would say, You know Jesus is who He said He was by a conviction, an undeniable inner witness, that testifies that He is the Christ! Jesus said His wisdom cannot be resisted: Therefore settle it in your hearts not to meditate beforehand on what you will answer; [15] for I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries will not be able to contradict or resist. Luke 21:

26 So, Jesus message was no ordinary one. It wasn t a set of proud boasts or an argument to engage and stimulate only the mind. No, there was something in His preaching that resonated with people in such a way that it rang true in their hearts. But it didn t resonate with everyone. Why would that be? It should ve been clear to people that Jesus was the Christ. But instead, some people thought He was out of His mind: But when His own people heard about this [what He was doing], they went out to lay hold of Him, for they said, He is out of His mind. Mark 3:21, brackets mine Others thought He had a demon: Therefore there was a division again among the Jews because of these [Jesus ] sayings. [20] And many of them said, He has a demon and is mad. Why do you listen to Him? John 10:19-20, brackets mine Jesus told people that if they wouldn t believe Him for His words, then they should believe for the miraculous signs He did. It wasn t what He preferred, but at least they would believe in Him. In John 10:38, He said Though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know and believe that the Father is in Me, and I in Him. He told Philip something similar here: Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves. John 14:11 Some, even in the face of notable miracles, went as far as hating Him and His Father: If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would have no sin; but now they have seen and also hated both Me and My Father. John 15:24 Then there were those who took it a step further and plotted to kill Him: And He entered the synagogue again, and a man was there who had a withered hand. [2] So they [the scribes and Pharisees] watched Him closely, whether He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him. [3] And He said to the man who had the withered hand, Step forward. [4] Then He said to them, Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill? But they kept silent. [5] And when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts, He said to the man, Stretch out your hand. And he stretched it out, and his 26